


And For My Next Trick

by Kannika



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2020-03-20 01:18:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18982249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kannika/pseuds/Kannika
Summary: There's a new girl in town- a magician- and Artemis needs a little magic to spice up her boring routine.





	And For My Next Trick

**Author's Note:**

> Coffee shop AUs are my JAM.

Bored. 

Bored, bored, bored, bored, _bored._

Artemis breathed out heavily through her mouth and fidgeted with the cup full of straws on the edge of the counter. If something didn’t happen soon, she was sure, she was going to dissolve and die. 

She cast a slow glance around at the rest of her coworkers- no one else appeared to be faring any better. Actually, out of the five of them, she appeared to be faring the best. Why they staffed so many people for a day that was so slow, Artemis had yet to figure out. Usually, she was somewhat grateful for it- it meant more conversations. It meant fewer arguments, because most of those happened between her and Wally and when they worked together, things broke at an alarming rate and customers sometimes got ignored or yelled at. (It was a hundred percent Wally’s fault, but nobody ever believed her when she said that.) It meant impromptu games of Work Olympics and hangman and eating Megan’s delicious cookies instead of lunch. 

Impossibly, however, there was a limit to how many times they could do those things when no one had come inside to buy anything in going on three hours for the fifth day in a row. 

Megan sighed and leaned against Conner’s shoulder. “Are we sure the sign says that we’re open?”

“Dibs on not going to check it.” Conner mumbled, slouching against her in turn. Since the manager was too scared to yell at him, he was sitting on the counter, which was the only place in the store that was clear. “I don’t want to move.”

“I don’t need to move to check it. I checked it earlier.” Artemis sighed. She turned around and looked at Dick and Wally, who were suspiciously quiet. When they were quiet, they were usually about to entertain themselves at someone else’s expense. “What are you doing?”

Dick shrugged, a smile tugging on the corner of his mouth. He was wearing his stupid sunglasses, but she still had a feeling he was sizing her up, deciding if it was worth death to entertain himself. (Maybe boredom made her paranoid.) “Nothing.”

“No, you’re doing something, I’m sure of it.”

“We are _not-_ ” 

“Wally.” Artemis raised her voice sharply because he had disappeared from her vision while she was staring at Dick; she felt him freeze. “What about you? What are you not doing?”

“…Whatever you think I’m doing.” He said. His voice sounded slightly full, even though she didn’t remember seeing him eating a second ago…

Ah. She knew what he was doing. “Wally?”

“Yeah?”

“If you put that gum in my hair, they will have to surgically remove it from your ass.”

“…I have no gum.”

“A wise choice, Wall-man.” Artemis said dryly.

Conner breathed out through his mouth and slouched further back so Megan could run her fingers through his hair. Probably disappointed. She had to admit, if Wally had at least tried, they could have bickered for thirty seconds more or something. Maybe chased him through the shop. Maybe they would have had to clean something up…

God, she was fantasizing about _cleaning._ If something didn’t happen soon she was going to kill someone just because if she did that, they wouldn’t dare fire her for leaving early. Plus it would occupy thirty seconds. Maybe a minute if she included cleanup…

The door chimed; Dick bolted upright so fast something fell off the counter. “Welcome!” He said brightly, and Artemis sighed. First customer in hours, and someone else got to help them. Life wasn’t fair. 

“Hello!” Someone said back brightly. 

A girl’s voice. Artemis perked up.

 _“Hell-o.”_ Dick’s voice got lower, more drawn out- which meant he was hitting on her. “What can I get for you?”

In spite of all her instincts saying this was going to be a train wreck and a half, Artemis sat up and looked over the counter to see who was here.

The girl had black hair, bright blue eyes, bright red lipstick, and a tailored women’s version of a suit. And when she smiled at them, it was like someone had just turned back on the sun. 

“Zatanna Zatara.” She said brightly. “I’m new in town. What do you recommend?”

 _I recommend you stick around so I can keep staring at you._ There wasn’t very often that Artemis found a girl she literally couldn’t take her eyes off of, but Zatanna was the right type. She thought confidence was the sexiest thing a person could have, and with her impeccable makeup, snappy clothes, and bright and attentive attitude, that was definitely something Zatanna had in spades. She grinned at Artemis and drummed her manicured nails on the counter, glancing up at the menu. 

“Hi!” Megan bounced forward from where she had been sitting with Conner and stuck her hand out across the counter. “My name’s Megan! It’s nice to meet you! This is my boyfriend Conner, and this is Dick, Wally, and Artemis!”

Conner gave her a cursory nod and slightly sat up. Wally and Dick adjusted themselves, leaning against the counter in a way that Artemis liked to call preening. They were skinny, gangly boys, both of them, but she supposed there was no competition in an empty store. 

_Best of luck,_ she thought, and maybe, just maybe, she was a tiny bit bitter. 

“Nice to meet you all.” Zatanna said with a grin. “I’m serious. I know each place has its specialties, what’s yours?”

“I recommend the cake pops, personally.” Dick said. “Wally? Can you go get them out of the back? We have more flavors back there. It’s been kind of a slow day, so they’re in the cooler.”

Wally gave him a slightly disgruntled look, but slapped him on the shoulder and started back. Artemis was constantly in awe and a little concerned at how well those two played wingman for each other. She had yet to see them pick the same girl to flirt with. Was there a secret agreement or something?

Zatanna bit her lips to try to force down a smile. “Well, sure. But what about drinks?”

“Hot chocolate is good with the cake pops.” Megan suggested. Now that she had been introduced and there was no need for formality, she had retreated back with Conner. She was hilariously predictable. Conner never even looked at anyone except her, but she liked to be sure no one looked too hard at him either.

They were all predictable, Artemis realized with a jolt, after weeks of seeing basically nobody else. She loved them, but she dearly needed some excitement. Zatanna’s smile was the first spark she’d felt in days.

Dick scoffed. “Meg, not everyone runs on pure sunshine like you. The rest of us need caffeine. That’s what you meant, right?”

“Definitely.” Zatanna said, still smiling that secret smile like their antics were the best thing she could have hoped to find here. “I have a busy day ahead of me.”

“Like what?” Artemis dared to ask.

Zatanna sent a quick glance in her direction (god, she was so gorgeous, it was entirely unfair) and held up a flyer that she produced out of thin air. “I do magic shows!” She beamed. “With my dad. It’s a family business. Our first performance isn’t until this weekend, but before that we need to scope out the venue, get things in place, drum up business, things like that.”

Artemis grinned. “Awesome.” She said, hoping it came out casual.

“We should go!” Megan chirped from the back. “Dick, take the flyer! We’re going!”

“We’re going where?” Wally asked, finally resurfacing from the back. He hadn’t brought a single cake pop with him, and Artemis rolled her eyes. They weren’t even trying to hide the fact they were playing wingman anymore.

“To a magic show.” Dick winked. “I bet it’s fantastic.”

Zatanna smiled and leaned forward just a tiny bit. “It is.” She said. “So, how about a double chocolate mocha and a cake pop? Megan, you seem to know the most about cake pops, so I trust your judgment on what goes best with that.”

Megan squealed and jumped up. “Coming right up! Wally, how about a… birthday cake pop?”

“Sounds excellent.” Zatanna brought out her wallet- again, from basically nowhere. She was definitely a magician. “What do I owe you?” 

Dick waved her off. “On the house, since you’re new.” He said, and leaned casually, smoothly forward. “Also, I was wondering if after work I can… show you around town? Take you out to dinner? My treat. What do you say?”

Zatanna paused, pursed her lips, and shook her head in a way that was mildly sympathetic. “Hmm… no. Sorry. Not now.”

Dick’s eyes just about bugged out of his head. “Not… what does that mean? Are you busy?”

“Hm…” She paused again, tapping her lips like she was trying to figure out a way to put this delicately. (Dick was practically deflating.) “I mean, I just finished dating a guy kind of like you, so I kind of want something… different in between. You know how it is. Bad timing. Sorry. Maybe next time, though. I’ll keep you posted.”

Dick looked like he wasn’t sure how to take that. She wished she had a camera. “Oh. Oh, I guess that… makes sense? Kind of?”

Wally gave his best friend exactly one sympathy pat on the back- then shoved in at the counter next to him, smiling widely. “What about me? Eh? Eh?”

Zatanna grinned again, biting her lip. “Not my type. Sorry, ginger. You’re cute, though. Keep trying, it’ll work eventually.”

Wally frowned, but just shrugged. He wasn’t super invested. Apparently Zatanna wasn’t his type, either. He just hit on anyone wearing makeup. Which Zatanna had- especially lipstick, which made them bright cherry red. 

She had nice lips, Artemis mused to herself. Nice lips, nice eyes, nice perfume, nice style, and she kept glancing in Artemis’ direction… could it be…?

What was the worst that could happen?

“Am I your type?” She asked before she could reconsider it.

Dick choked on air, but Zatanna paused, thinking it over, considering Artemis with something new and lively in her eyes that made her stomach twist like she was on a mile-high drop.

Then she smiled, all teeth and bright red lipstick and trouble. 

“Sure.” She leaned over the counter in her direction, flipped her hair out of her eyes and batted them enticingly. “What about that new bar down the street? You are twenty-one, right?”

“Yeah, I’m twenty-one.” Artemis grinned at her. “And I hope you can hold your liquor. Cause it would be embarrassing to drink my date under the table again.”

 _Date._ She totally hadn’t meant to use that word, that wasn’t something she usually casually told strangers, but Zatanna’s smile widened so quickly at the word that she didn’t have it in her to feel embarrassed. It was a smile that she knew well, that said both “good, someone else who understands” and “yes”.

“Bring it on, sister.” She straightened, then flicked her wrist; a card appeared out of nowhere (she wasn’t even _wearing long sleeves_ ) and she presented it to Artemis. “Here’s my number. Call me after you get off work.” There was such a sparkle in her eye, such mischievous light that Artemis felt it sweep down every nerve in her body. 

“See you then.” Artemis replied, feeling distinctly dangerous for the first time in a long time. She didn’t feel like Zatanna would mind.

Zatanna straightened, the movement easy and casual, grabbed her mocha and cake pop from an overly-bright Megan, and gave it an experimental sip. “Excellent.” She said to all of them, gaze lingering on Artemis longest. “I look forward to it. Sorry, sweetie. Better luck next time.” That addressed to Dick, who looked about ready to honest-to-god pass out. She bet he wasn’t used to being passed over. It just made Artemis grin all the wider, which made Zatanna give her the last wink and wave. “Later.”

She turned around, hair bouncing, walk confident and gorgeous, and swept out the door like a hurricane leaving shore.

Silence.

“Entirely unfair.” Dick murmured, sounding equal parts wounded and impressed.

“I think I’m in love.” Wally said, sounding faint.

“Get in line, I think.” Conner said, sounding smug. “Artemis?”

“Most definitely get in line.” Artemis rolled her shoulders back and looked critically over the ingredients sitting on the counter. All the stuff for Zatanna’s mocha was already open and out, so it probably wouldn’t be a bad move to make her another one and bring it to their date. (The word made her grin.) A caffeine high would complement the alcohol buzz, she thought. Plus she wanted to see Zatanna light up like that again, blue eyes sparkling, red lipstick accentuating her smirk…

She was maybe a teeny tiny bit gone.

Megan squealed and grabbed her hands. “Oh, please tell me I can pick out your outfit! I’ll make you look really pretty, I promise!”

Artemis rolled her eyes. “Well, when you phrase it like that…”

“Unfair.” Dick repeated.

“Go get her.” Conner said, still looking entirely too amused, like he didn’t care who got a date so long as it broke up the monotony of the afternoon. Or the week. Or the foreseeable future.

Artemis looked down at the card Zatanna had passed her- a playing card, the queen of hearts. Her number was written in calligraphy-worthy handwriting with a black pen, and a heart at the end of the string of numbers. 

Definitely the foreseeable future. She looked forward to this.

“Megan.” She said. “We’re leaving early. I have a date to get ready for.”

Megan squealed and clapped her hands together.

Dick said, “Tell her I’m open to literally anything. Pride is not an issue.”

“Dude.” Wally said in resignation. “You lose. She wins.”

Artemis grinned and pocketed the card. 

She most certainly did.


End file.
